I am 32 years old and have been married for 6 years. I had two children under 2 (hence the blog name), but now they are actually 3 and 2. Maybe it is time to change the blog name? Drama Queen is 3 and Wildman is 2 (15 months apart to be exact). I have a Bachelor's Degree on Criminal Justice from Applachian State University (Go Apps!) and have been at my current place of employment for going on 7 years.

For a week that is. My IL's took them with them to NY for the week to go camping. We will be joining them at the end of the week for a week of camping ourselves. Up until this week AM and I have been dreading it, but now we are actually looking forward to it. Not looking forward to the 14 hour drive (YUCK!) but a week of relaxing and just hanging out. That is if the kids aren't spoiled rotten by then.

AM posed me with a question: What did we do before we had kids?

Good question indeed. It has been almost 4 years, so I can't really remember what it was like. I remember that AM worked all the time on 2nd shift, so at night I was free to do what I wanted. I took Tae Kwon Do three times a week. Other than that I just can't remember. I am sure we did something though. Isn't that just sad?

Friday night we took the kids to Maw-Maw and Pop-Pop's to spend the night since they would be leaving out around 3 am. They were so sweet and DQ is soo excited about camping. They gave us hugs and kisses and told us bye-bye. We were home by 8 pm and bored out of our minds by 8:30. AM stated that if they were home it wouldn't be any different since they would be asleep. I told him this was true. The only difference was that we were free to leave the house and do whatever we wanted. We didn't leave the house. Exciting aren't we?

Saturday morning, AM had a side job to do (he is a plumber) so I spent the morning going through the toy boxes. 2 trash bags later the toys were weeded out. No toys are in the living room baskets anymore, and all the toys are in their rightful spots in the correct bedrooms. The kiddos have an inate ability to put their toys anywhere but where they go. One trashbag is full of junk that will be thrown away (Happy Meal toys, those damn high heels that DQ almost breaks her legs in daily) and one bag if for the local Children's Home for children who are taken away from their parents due to bad living conditions, etc. I hope the tpys bring them as much joy as they have my own children. I will drop them off by Wednesday.

After going through all the toys, I got my hair cut (hence the new picture in my About Me section). You like? When AM was finished with his job, we went out to dinner at Tony Roma's, our favorite restaurant. AM isn't one for trying new things, so we almost always go to TR's when we get a chance. Usually the food is excellent, but this time AM's St. Loius ribs were digusting. There were teeny-tiny little bones all in the ribs and he almost chocked several times. And the waitress. Oh.My.Gawd! was she awful! We literally had to ask for everything a minimum of twice for multiple things. Not a good thing. She got a 1.36 tip and that was being generous. I had received one of those complete the survey and get $5 off your next meal things. I left it in black folder-thingy because it was the receipt, she the hoochy took it! UGH! (We are eating at Red Robin sometime this week).

After dinner, we were going to go see 1408 (starring John Cusack), but we missed the 8:00 show and didn't want to wait until 10 so we visited AM's old place of employment and then headed home. I had thrown my back out the night before, so I took a muscle relaxer and went to bed. Haven't had that good a night's sleep in a LONG time. :)

We decided that we would go to an early matinee on Sunday. We were child-free afterall! We went ahead and saw 1408, even though AM really wants to see Transformers. I just can't see myself sitting through two hours of Autobots and Decepticons. I'm sorry, I just can't do it. 1408 was ok; the typical Stephen King movie. Hated the ending. Basically, it is about a writer who goes into "haunted" places and de-myths them. He is a cynic and doesn't believe that ghosts exist. And of course he has a past. Turns out his daughter died of some terminal illness and he left his wife to deal with the grief. He finds out about this "haunted" room in a hotel in NY and they refuse to rent it to him- so of course he has to stay there. Supposedly, no one that has stayed in the room has ever lasted more than an hour. The rest of the movie is about the writer and the evil room. Like I said, typical Stephen King. But it was ok if you like that sort of thing.

Then we went to BJ's and got diapers, pullups, (you didn't think I wouldn't get something for the kids- teehee) and a new camera for me! Yippee!! I can't wait to use it!

Last night we spent watching TV and doing nothing. I watched Big Brother (who do you think is going home?) and then The Two Coreys on A&E. If you haven't watched it, and you are a child of the 80's you need to. It if freaking hysterical. Watching the two Coreys (Haim and Feldman- remember them?) interact is freakin funny. Feldman (and his wife) are vegetarian freaks, and Haim is still acting like he is 18 with ADD. Totally nuts I tell ya! I laughed out loud many times. It's on Sundays at 10 pm. Watch it!

Today I work. Oh the fun. I am thinking of doing a ride-along with the officers, but I don't know if I can fit it all in. We leave for NY Friday morning at 3 am, and there is only so much that you can cram into 6 days without the bay-bays. And it might be nice to just sit and relax too ya know?

Ok, I'll admit it. I was one of the crazy Harry Potter fans that stood in line Friday night to be one of the "first" to get the new book. At least I didn't dress up.

There had to be at least 500 people at the local BAM (Books A Million), and most of those were tweens. Just how I wanted to spend my late Friday night. I do not envy the people who had to clean up that mess, let me tell you. BAM had it's registers opened until 11:45 pm (which really was retail genius) so all of us that were trapped in the store could buy that book that we have read in its entirety while waiting for 12:01 am.

We all finally figured out where the line actually started, (Side note: Dear manager of BAM, next time you might want to have more than one person pointing out where they line actually is. Thanks!) and stood there. And stood there. Right before midnight, they started counting down. This caused ear-splitting screams and clapping. I swear to you, you would have thought Brad Pitt, or someone from High School Musical, was coming in the building. While I am all about me some Harry Potter, I am not about to scream like a banshee because I can get a book. A book people! But hey, at least we know that a hella lot of people were reading their little heart's out for a least one night right? At 12:01 am on the nose they started handing out books, I guess. I wouldn't know since it took almost 30 minutes for the line to start to move. I still don't know what the hold up was. But oh well...

By 12:30 am, I had my very own copy in my tired little hands. I drove home and read until 2 am. I just couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. I am now on page 120. I can say that some of the fans will have probably read it cover to cover three times before I finish it the first time. I am a slow reader, and I have two little beings that rely on my for everything so I have to stop reading from time to time. Oh, and I value my sleep way too much. But I will finish it. And I already know how it ends. I know..I am a TERRIBLE person. But this time I just couldn't wait. I had to at least know the fate of Harry. But I'll never tell :) You'll have to read it for yourself.

So that was what I was doing this weekend. How many of you out there have the book? What do/did you think?

It’s been said that allegedly if you’ve seen over 85 movies you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste it in and put x’s by the ones that you have seen. Add them up........if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Drama Queen has had knock-off Crocs for two years now. Cute little pink ones. She was a trend-setter in our area. One of the first to have them and she got so many compliments. Every where we went someone was commenting on how cute her shoes were.

Since we are camping alot this year, and they are virtually indestructable, I decided to bite the bullet and get Wild Man and myself a pair as well. I bought DQ another pink pair, WM a camo pair, and myself a purple pair. Wouldn't you know it...WM HATES them! So back they went and Mommy used the money to buy her a nice new pair of tennis shoes.

Anyway.

I know they are hideous to look at, but OMG! are they comfortable. I wish I could wear them to work. But I have to confess that I have not one pair, but two. At a recent camping trip I forgot my purple ones (and they rub the side of my feet for some reason) so while at Dollar General I bought a cheap pair of black ones for $6. I wear them all the time.

Oh. The. Shame. But I don't care dang it! This is coming from a redneck who will wear a wife beater and shorts (with her crocs) to the grocery store if the needs arise.

I know, I know. Bad me. I haven't blogged in FOREVER. Sorry. I have been super-duper busy and honestly, just a little burned out on the whole thing. When there isn't really anything to say, why say anything at all.

So, here is a little photo essay about my whereabouts the last few months. If nothing else, it will give you something to look at.

Our Home Away From Home

Drama Queen in her 'kini

Being Too Cute For Words

Alpha Male Trying His Hardest Not To Kill Me

Wild Man after an afternoon with a bucket of water and dirt.

Camping Destinations

New EndeavorsI have also started a mini side business of sorts and a new blog. If I ever get the money it will be given a makeover, but it will have to do for now. Go check it out and tell me what you think.

New Name?I have also been thinking about changing the name of this blog. Land of 2 Under 2 just doesn't really fit anymore since my kids have gotten older. Those of you who have gotten to know me....any suggestions?

If I keep with the Mommy Blogger theme I was considering... Toddler Times (if it isn't taken).

I am still considering it. Let me know what you think.

Other than that, not much new here in Poo Poo Land.

Oh, speaking of poo-poo. DQ is officially potty-trained. She still has to wear a pull up at night and nap times but other than that she is doing great. I may have already mentioned it, I can't remember. If I have well, you are hearing about it again. Never in a million years would I ever have thought that I would be proud of human waste. One down and one to go!

Remember when you were kids? You thought that you would be friends with your best friend(s) forever and ever? What a deluded and naive world we lived in. Ignorance is bliss they say. And it will be a LONG time before I have that talk with the kiddos. A good friend (RIP Chad) even said so at the ripe old age of 16 when we were still in high school. At the time I thought he was crazy as hell. Now I know he was wise well beyond his years.

I miss having a BFF. Hell, I miss having friends period. Other than AM, my children, and the occassional on-line "friend" I have no friends. None. Zip. Zero. No one to call and cry to when AM and I have a fight, no one to brag when he or the kids are espeically sweet, no one to just hang with. And.it.sucks!

I try to make new friends, but it just isn't as easy as it used to be. Once you are out of that atmosphere (school, college, etc) and get married and start being a real adult it is so much harder. Time is limited and childcare is an issue. Honestly, I don't know how to do it anymore. And I often wonder if I would be a good friend anyway. Most days I am much to absorbed in my own life most of the time to take time out for someone else. Maybe therein lies the problem?

Recently an old BFF contacted me and told me that they were coming home for a few days. I didn't get to see this person since they were proposing and getting married during the short trip home (congrats again K if you are reading this!) This started me thinking about "the good ol' days". Days of parties, hanging out, acting silly, and driving to the beach just for dinner. Even though there is no way that any of us could have kept up the pace we had back then, it sure was fun. Nowadays, sporatic emails and short occassional phone calls are the norm. Everyone is too busy and our lives have gone in such different directions that things aren't as easy and comfortable anymore. Bittersweet memories since I miss those days and wish that some people had remained in my life.

Hopefully, some day I can say that I have a BFF again. What's your BFF story?